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THE ORATION, 

IN THE 

CITY HALL, BURLINGTON, ON WASHINGTON'S BIRTH-DAY, 1859; 



BY REQCEST OF 



THE LADY MANAGERS 



MOUNT VERNON ASSOCIATION, 



MANY CITIZENS OF BURLINGTON : 



THE RT. REV. GEORGE WASHINGTON DOANE, D.D., LL.D., 

BISHOP OF NEW JERSEY. 



Ergo, niagisque magisque, viri, nunc, gloria claret." — Enniua. 



BURLINGTON, N. .J. : 

PUBLISHED FOK THE LADIES' MOUNT VERNON ASSOCIATION. 

MDCCCLIX. 



.0 



KING k BAIRD, PRISTEIIS, PHILADELPHIA: 



Burlington, February 7, 1859. 
Bishop Doane, 

Dear Sir : 
The undersigned, ladies of Burlington, who are charged with the arrange- 
ments for aiding the Ladies' Mount Vernon Association of the Union, "in 
the plan of purchasing, restoring and preserving the Mansion and Tomb op 
Washington," respectfully request you to deliver an Address, on the Charac- 
ter and Services of the ' ' Father of his Country ; ' ' and, in explanation of 
the present effort, to honor his memory, at as early a time as may suit your 
convenience. 

Mrs. C. Van Rensselaer, 

Mrs. E. B. Gbubb, 

Mrs. S. C. Robardet, 

Mrs. Abercrombie, 

S. K. Doane, 

Mrs. Engle, 

Ann L. Kinsey, 

Frances T. Jones, 

Mrs. G. W. South, 

Mrs. Lewis, 



Mrs, F. Woolman, 
Mrs. M. Allen, 
Mrs. S. W. Stockton, 
Mrs. E. S. Rodgers, 
Mrs. J. H. Pugh, 
Miss S. M. Milnob, 
Mrs. N. E. Wright, 
Mary W. Buckman, 
Eliza West. 



Burlington, Februari/ 8, 1859. 
Bishop Doane, 

Dear Sir : 
In behalf of the citizens of Burlington, the undersigned cordially unite 
with the ladies, in requesting you to deliver an Address, on Washington, in 
furtherance of the object of the "Ladies' Mount Vernon Association." 



Wm. R. Allen, Mai/m; 
C. Van Rensselaer, 
Geo. W. South, 
Franklin Woolman, 
John Rodgers, 
J. Howard Pugh, 
Sam. R. Gummerk, 
Budd Sterling, 
James Sterling, 
C. Bacjuet, 



A. W. Burns, 
Edw. B. Grubb, 
S. W. Stockton, 
Franklin Gauntt, 
J. Willis Nevins, 
Thos. Milnor, 
J. B. Roberts, 
Noah E. Wright, 
CiiAs. G. Milnor, 
F. Engle. 



Riverside, 16th February, 1859. 
To THE Rev. Dr. Van Rensselaer, 
My Dear Friend : 
I have your noto, of tliis date, with its two enclosures : from the Lady 
Managers of the Mount Vernon Fund ; and from citizens of Burlington, 
headed by the Mayor. 

I cordially consent to a request, so cordially expressed. The name of 
Washington ; the auspices of such honorable women ; the desire of so many 
of my friends, of five and twenty years — permit me to add — ^your own most 
generous agency : leave me with no alternative. It will afford me the very 
greatest pleasure, to meet my fellow citizens, so constant to me in their 
confidence and kindness, at the time and place proposed. 

I am faithfully your friend, 

G. W. Doane. 



At the conclusion of Bishop Doane's Oration, the following resolutions 
were offered by A. W. Burns, Esq. ; and seconded by John D. Moore, M. D. : 
and adopted, by acclamation. 

Resolved, That the thanks of the "Ladies' Mount Vernon Association," 
and the citizens of Burlington, be U7ianiniously tendered to the Rt. Rev. 
George Washington Doane, D. D. LL.D., Bishop of New .Jersey, for the 
able, classic, and eloquent Address, which he has just delivered upon the 
Life and Character of Washington. 

Resolved, That the Bishop be respectfully requested to furnish a copy of 
the same for publication: and that the proceeds arising from the sale 
thereof, bo placed in the hands of the Lady Manager of the "Mount Ver- 
non Association," Mrs. Cortlandt Van Rensselaer; and applied to the pur- 
)>oso ('(mtcitiplafcd. 




Plutarch could write his lives in parallels ; an 
illustrious Greek, by the side of an illustrious Roman: 
Theseus, with Romulus ; Pericles, with Fabius Maxi- 
mus ; Aristides, with Cato Major ; Alexander, with 
Julius Caesar. Where shall the future Plutarch find 
Jiis parallel, whose birthday twins, with that of the 
Republic 1 Next to the Fourth day of July, scarcely 
below it, in the calendar of patriotism, stands the 
twenty-second day of February. The two, the Festivals 
of thirty millions of free men, already; to be, through 
all the ages, next to the sacred anniversaries, the holy 
days of human nature. Who shall deny the legend, 
which our Eagle bears, to-day : " One World ; one 
AVashington !" 

Nations are Trustees, for the names of their great 
m(!n. It is a sacred, it is a solemn, trust. Shall I do 
wrong, to say, it is their most sacred, their most solemn, 
trust ? God lent them, to their country, for a while. 



5 ONE AVOKLJ): oltK WASHINGTON. 

He endowed them, with intellectual powers. He im- 
bued them, with transcendent virtues. He made 
them, noblemen of trutli. He set, upon their brow, 
the coronet of glory. He let them labor; let them 
suffer ; let them be reviled : perhaps. He let them die, 
upon the scaffold ; in the dungeon ; on the battle field. 
Was it for one country? Was it for their own genera- 
tion ] Was it for a single age ? No. They were mon- 
archs of mankind. They were darlings of humanity. 
They were central stars, to light the world. And they 
are blazing on, and they will blaze on, to be the 
cynosure of unborn hearts ; in nations, yet, undreamed 
of Was Aristides just, for the Athenians, alonel Or, 
Cincinnatus, but, the patriot of Rome] Have I no 
share in Socrates'? Are Alfred, Wallace, Tell, not 
ours % Were Shakspeare, Milton, Newton, not, for 
usl How beautiful it is, this Catholicity of great- 
ness ! The First Consul of France directed, that all 
the standards of the Republic should be hung, with 
crape : and issued the following order, to the Army : 
" AVashington is dead. Tliis great man fought against 
tyranny. He established the liberty of his country. 
His memory will, always, be dear, to the French peo- 
ple: as it will be, to all free men of the two worlds." 
Lord Bridport, who commanded the British fleet, off 
Torbay, lowered his flag, half-mast ; on hearing the 
intelligence. And the whole fleet, of sixty ships of 
the line, followed his example. And, but the other 



ONE world: one WASHINGTON. 



day, some officers of our expedition, to Japan, under 
the command of the lamented Perry, were surprised to 
hear, from the official of a Loo Choo town, such words 
as these; "gentlemen, Doo Choo man, very small. 
American man, not very small. I have read of 
America, in books, of Washington. Very good man ; 
very good." So true, it is, that great men are not 
their own. Are not their country's. Are not of their 
own time. They are the world's. They are humanity's. 
They are eternity's. They are God's. And, the 
nations, who have had the use of them, from God, are 
Trustees of their names ; for Him, and for mankind. 

If it be so, what a trust is ours : to Avhom God lent 
the foremost name, that inspiration has not consecrated ; 
the name of Washington. "One Washington; one 
World !" In making this unqualified, uncompromis- 
ing, challenge; Washington, against the world: I am 
not held to institute, in detail, the comparison, between 
his greatness and the greatness of the world's great 
men. The time would fail me, to attempt it ; and, 
much more, your patience. And, then, it would be 
asking me to prove a negative ; to show that this or 
that great man was not as great as he. Let me, 
rather, in such feeble measure, as I may, attempt to 
show, how great he was. It will be for him, who can, 
to find one greater; and, so, gainsay the legend of our 
glorious eagle : " One World ; one W^ashington !" 

And, here, the very difficulty, which meets us, at the 



8 ONE world: 0^ Washington. 

threshold, as to where we shall begin, is most conclu- 
sive of his greatness. In a triangle, a square, a poly- 
gon, there are starting points, for the delineation. 
The circle, the only perfect figure, has no beginning. 
No human eye can bear the full-orbed splendor of the 
solar light. Disintegrated, by the skill of Newton, the 
rays of the prismatic spectrum are as soft and lam- 
bent, as an infant's smile. There are other great men, 
of whom, the same is true. Shakspeare, pre-eminently. 
Whom would any body undertake to compare with 
Shakspeare] The ingenious Germans meet the case, by 
multiplication. They call him, "myriad-minded." 
Washington was not that. He was one-minded. The 
circle is the best exponent of his character. The 
simplest of all figures. Consisting of one line, only. 
And, yet, complete, and perfect. The only figure, 
which a single direction of the hand can form. The 
one, which is, always, the same : which, always, pleases : 
and, which, never, tires. It was finely said, of Shaks- 
peare, by Doctor Samuel Johnson, 

" Each change of mauy-coloriHl life, he drew : 
" Exhausted worlds ; and, then, imagined new." 

But, in all his dreamings, Shakspeare never dreamed 
of Washington. And, all the great men, of all his 
dramas, would not supply his greatness. 

A very common measure of human greatness is the 
want of opportunity. To make a gold ring, from the 
ingot, is no great enterprise. To make it, without. 



ONE world: one WASHINGTON, 9 



requires the Philosopher's stone. Washington's means 
of education were very Umited. Till he was fourteen, 
his Alma Mater was " an old field school-house." His 
teacher, a tenant of his father, was the sexton of the 
parish. And, though he then went to a better school, 
it was only for two years. Before his sixteenth birth- 
day, he had done with schools. He was, what is 
called, " self-made." But, he was well made. 

Early attainments and rapid x^rogress are commonly 
considered marks of greatness. They are not, always. 
Early ripe is, often, early rotten. It was not so with 
Washington. During the three years, from his six- 
teenth, he was a commissioned Public Surveyor. At 
nineteen, he was appointed Mihtary Inspector, with 
the rank of Major. At twenty, he was sent, by the 
Governor of Virginia, six hundred miles, through the 
Indian country, as a Commissioner, to confer with the 
Commander of the French forces ; and inquire, by what 
authority, he presumed to invade the King's dominions, 
and what were his intentions : a service, difficult and 
full of danger ; but, most successfully performed. At 
twenty-five, he was appointed to the chief command of 
the troops, to be sent out, by Governor Dinwiddie, 
at^ainst the French. When the number was increased 
three-fold, he was made second in command, with the 
rank of Lieutenant Colonel; and, appointed Colonel 
of the Virginia regiment, when he was not yet twenty- 
three. This was not what we speak of, now, as 
2 



10 ONE world: o^: 



ONE world: OTTE WASHINGTON. 



"Young America." The green wood, used for caned 
work. There was nothing "fast," in Wasliington. 
His was timber, seasoned, witli sobriety, and self-de- 
nial; not Avitliout pravei*. The Colonel of twenty- 
two, in the camp, at the Great Meadows, in the ab- 
sence of a Chaplain, said prayers, before the regiment, 
himself A beautiful sight, it must have been, " The 
youthful commander, presiding, with calm seriousness, 
over a motly assemblage, of half-equipped soldiery, 
leathern-clad hunters, and woodsmen, and painted sav- 
ages, with their wives and children ; and uniting them 
all, in solemn devotion, by his own example and de- 
meanor."* 

A year has passed. It is a morning, in July. The 
sun has not yet risen. Tlie Monongahela gleams and 
glitters, in the early light; as it rolls, onward, through 
the open forest. Upon its Southern bank, an army is 
just forming. Every man is in uniform. The officers 
are in full dress. The sun gleams, from the burnished 
arms. Bayonets fixed, colours flying, drums beating, 
fifes playing : they descend the verdant slope ; they 
ford the river; they wind along its bank. The Grena- 
diers' March is in their ears ; and every heart keeps 
time, with it. It is the British army, under General 
Braddock, on their expedition against Fort Duquesne. 
He was a brave man, and an accomplished officer. 



* Irviufi's Life. 



ONE world: one WASHINGTON. 11 

But he was in a strange country. It was a new mode 
of warfare. He was ignorant of the Indian character. 
He woukl not listen to Washington, who perfectly un- 
derstood it. It was, now, two o'clock. The army had 
marched, thus far, without interruption. But, hark, 
there is a heavy firing, in the front. There, is the 
fearful Indian yell. Every tree conceals a man. They 
are mowed down, by unseen rifles. Braddock is 
brave. His officers are brave. His men are brave. 
But, of what use is bravery, at such odds ! They fall, 
by platoons. In the confusion, friend kills friend. 
The rear rank fires, upon the front. The Indian 
scalps the officer, whom his own men have shot, 
Braddock, himself, receives a fatal wound. It is a 
perfect rout. Baggage, stores, artillery, are left. Of 
eighty-six officers, twenty-six are killed ; thirty-six are 
wounded. Of twelve hundred men, the killed and 
wounded are seven hundred. The young Virginia 
Colonel, in the meantime, was every where. Two 
horses were shot, under him. Four bullets passed 
through his coat. He seemed to bear a charmed life. 
Fifteen years, after that, an aged Indian Chief wenf, 
a long way, to see him. He told him, that, on Brad- 
dock's fatal field, he fired liis rifle, at him, many times ; 
and had directed his young braves to do the same. 
To their astonishment, without eftect. Pie was con- 
vinced, that he must be under the special care of the 
Good Spirit ; and they ceased to fire at him. He had 



12 ONE avokld: 0^ Washington. 

come to see the man, who could not die, in battle. 
Was he not shielded, by tlie panoply of prayer] Had 
not the angels charge over him, that no weapon should 
do him harm "? In all the war, he never had a wound. 
In words, almost prophetic, the eloquent Samuel 
Davics, in a sermon, occasioned by Braddock's defeat, 
after praising the Virginia troops, for zeal and courage, 
went on to say, "As a remarkable instance of this, I 
may point out, to the public, that heroic youth. Colonel 
Washington; whom, I cannot but hope. Providence 
has, hitherto, preserved, in so signal a manner, for 
some important service, to his country." 

It is now, 1774. The nineteen years from the 
battle of the Monongahela, have been passed, in 
domestic bliss, in his favorite pursuit of agriculture, 
and in public duty, military and civil. At his first 
appearance, in a civil capacity, as a member of the 
House of Burgesses, a beautiful scene occurred. " By 
a vote of the House, it had been determined to greet 
his instalment, by a signal testimonial of respect. 
Accordingly, as soon as he took his seat, Mr. Robison, 
the Speaker, in eloquent language, dictated by the 
warmth of private friendship, returned thanks, on behalf 
of the Colony, for the distinguished military services, 
he had rendered to his country. Washington rose to 
reply; blushed, stammered, trembled, and could not 
utter a word. ' Sit down, Mr. Washington,' said the 
Speaker, with a smile ; ' your modesty equals your 



ONE world: one WASHINGTON. 13 

valor ; and that surpasses the power of any language, I 
possess.'" The nineteen years, from 1755, had been 
most successfully employed, by the mother country, 
in alienating the affections of her American daughter. 
The people of the Colonies, goaded by the increasing 
pressure of injustice and oppression, were meditating 
independence. The first Continental Congress met, in 
Philadelphia, on the 5th of September, 1774. Of this, 
Washington was a member. His position, there, is 
well stated, by Patrick Henry, the celebrated orator of 
freedom. Being asked, after his return, whom he 
thought the greatest man, in Congress, he replied, " If 
you speak of eloquence, Mr. Rutledge, of South Caro- 
lina, is by far the greatest orator. But, if you speak 
of solid information and sound judgment, Colonel 
Washington is, unquestionably, the greatest man, on 
that floor." By the second Congress, which met in 
Philadelphia, on the 10th of May, 1775, the sword of 
liberty was drawn. Hostilities, indeed, had begun. 
Blood had been shed, at Lexington and (concord. 
The Continental army was organized, by Congress: and 
George Washington, of Virginia, on the suggestion of 
John Adams, of Massachusetts, was, unanimously, 
elected. Commander-in-chief. The manner of his ac- 
ceptance was worthy of himself. Never, were modesty 
and generosity more beautifully illustrated. His 
modesty. " Lest some unlucky event shoidd happen, 
unfavorable to my reputation, I beg it may be remeni- 



14 ONE world: 0^ 



ONE world: owe WASHINGTON. 



bered, by every gentleman in the room, tluit I, tliis 
day, declare, with the utmost sincerity, I do not think 
myself equal to the command, I am honored Avith." 
His generosity. " I beg leave to assure the Congress, 
that, as no pecuniary consideration would have tempted 
me to accept this arduous employment, at the expense 
of my domestic ease and happiness, I do not wish to 
make any profit from it. 1 will keep an exact account 
of my expenses. Those, I doubt not, they will dis- 
charge ; and that is all I desire." He did keep his 
account strictly ; and that was all he received. 

From the day, that he took command of the Ameri- 
can army, at Cambridge, July 3, 1775, through the 
whole of that eight years' war, what was he not, to the 
great cause] It was a boastful saying of a Monarch of 
the French, "The State; it is myself!" But, every one 
must say, the War ; it was Washington : the Country ; 
it was Washington : Victory ; it w^as Washington : 
Independence ; it was Washington ! It would have 
been a task, for more than any mortal, to wage suc- 
cessful war, between a Colonial government, in every 
way, distressed and destitute: and- a vast empire ; rich 
in resources, of all kinds ; " a man of war, from" its 
" youth ;" the mistress of the seas. How was the diffi- 
culty increased, wlien tlierc were thirteen governments, 
to be reconciled ; the central authority, with no power, 
but to recommend; and every form of local jealousy, 
added to all the hindrances, which f dlen Inunan nature 



ONE world: one WASHINGTON. 15 



always offers, to every honorable cause. Yet, these 
discordant elements, he harmonized. These antagon- 
istic forces, he reconciled. These prejudices, these 
jealousies, these hostilities, he removed, appeased, and 
pacified. He was the Sun of the whole System : about 
which, all revolved; and, by which, all were kept 
together. Is it not true, one Universe ; one Sun^ It 
is as true, " one World ; one Washington !" 

It was the winter of 1776. The very gloomiest 
period of the war. The British had possession of 
Rhode Island, Long Island, Staten Island, the city of 
New York, almost all the Jerseys ; and were threaten- 
ing Philadelphia. The army was weakened, by the 
discontent of the soldiery ; by the foolish policy, per- 
sisted in, by Congress, of short enlistments ; and by 
sickness. The Continent was discontented. The 
Congress was aroused. It met the case, as it only 
could be met. It made George Washington, Dictator. 
More than all armies, in that confidence : and, met, so 
modestly ; so manfully. It is Christmas night. The 
Hessians are encamped, at Trenton. The American 
troops are at Taylorsville, at Bristol, and in Philadel- 
phia. The weather is intensely cold. The Delaware, 
filled with floating ice, rolls, angrily, between them. 
But, something must be done. A night attack, by 
crossing the river, in three columns, is planned. The 
Northernmost is Washington's. The current is strong. 
The wind is high. The night is dark. It storms. 



16 ONE wokld: o^ Washington. 

What anxious hours, he watched, upon the Jersey side, 
while the artillery was transported ! The attack was 
meant to be, at midnight. Four precious hours are 
lost. The line of march is formed, in driving sleet. 
Two men are frozen to death. They have nine miles, 
to Trenton. They are there, at eight. The Hessians 
are surprised. They rally. But, in vain. Their Gen- 
eral falls. One thousand prisoners are taken. The 
two lower columns of the army had failed to cross. 
It was the victory of Washington, alone. On the 
second of January, the British were, at Trenton, in 
great force. The Assanpink divided the two armies. 
A general fight, the next day, was inevitable. The 
American force was not sufficient, to sustain it. At 
midnight, while the camp-fires burn, to lull the enemy, 
they are ofi', to Princeton. Three regiments are there ; 
to join Cornwallis, the next day, at Trenton. They 
are attacked, a little before sunrise ; and defeated. 
One hundred killed. Three hundred prisoners. In 
every hottest portion of the fight, W^ashington is 
present. But, no bullet had, for him, a billet. The 
bravest are the safest, always. God, specially, takes 
care of them. These actions turned the scale. In 
three weeks. New Jersey was recovered. The country 
rallied. And liberty took heart. " Achievements, so 
astonishing," says Botta, an Italian writer, "gained, 
for the American Commander, a very great reputation : 
and Avere regarded, with wonder, by all nations ; as well 



ONE world: one WASHINGTON. 17 



as by the Americans. Every one applauded the pru- 
dence, the firmness, and the daring, of General Wash- 
ington. All declared him the saviour of his country. 
All proclaimed him, equal to the most renowned com- 
manders of antiquity; and especially distinguished 
him, by the name of the American Fabius. His name 
was in the mouths of all men ; and celebrated by the 
pens of the most eminent writers. The greatest per- 
sonages in Europe bestowed upon him praise and con- 
gratulations !" In 1781, the British forces were 
concentrated, in Virginia. Cornwallis establishes 
himself, at Yorktown. General Washington, with the 
Count de Rochambeau, hastens to the scene. In that 
journey, for the first time, in six years and a half, he 
visits his dear Mount Vernon. Yorktown is invested. 
The siege is pressed. Cornwallis surrenders. Wash- 
ington is victorious. The war is ended. With what 
delight, he takes leave of the army ; tenders his com- 
mission ; and retires to private life ! " At length," 
he writes, to ].a Fayette, "I am become a private 
citizen, on the banks of the Potomac ; and, under the 
shadow of my own vine and my own fig tree, free 
from the bustle of a camp and the busy scenes of 
public life, I am solacing myself with those tranquil 
enjoyments." " I have not only retired from all 
public employments, but I am retiring within myself; 
and shall be able to view the solitary walk, and tread 
the paths of private life, with a heartfelt satisfaction. 



18 ONE world: one Washington. 



Envious of none, I am determined to be pleased with 
all. And, this, my dear friend, being the order of my 
march, I will move gently down the stream of life, 
until I sleep with my fathers." But, he was reckoning, 
without his host. The country, although free, was 
without a government. The Confederation was a 
rope of sand. Noav, that the pressure of war was re- 
moved from it, it was crumbling. Something must be 
done : or the independence, so dearly bought, was lost. 
A Convention of delegates, from the several States, 
assembled, in Philadelphia, on the fourteenth of May, 
1787. General Washington was, unanimously, elected 
President. It continued, in session, four months. 
The result of its labours was the Constitution of the 
United States. The foremost hand, to win the inde- 
pendence of the nation, was the foremost hand, to 
frame the means, for its perpetuity. But, one more 
honour, now, remained. The Constitution provided 
for a President. And George Washington was, unani- 
mously, elected. President of the United States. He 
had refused to be a candidate, for that high office, as 
long as duty would permit. And, when he started, to 
encounter its responsibilities, it was with a sad and a 
heavy heart. " About ten o'clock," he says, in his 
diary, for April 16, 1789, "I bade adieu to Mount 
Vernon, to private life and to domestic felicity; and, 
with a mind, oppressed with more anxious and painful 
sensations, than 1 have words to express, set out for 



ONE world: one WASHINGTON. 19 

New York : with the best disposition to render service 
to my country, in obedience to its call ; but, with less 
hope of answering its expectations." By a beautiful 
act of piety, he premised his entrance, on the highest 
office in the world, by a visit to his venerable mother : 
then, eighty-two ; and in the last year of her life. 
The Conqueror, the Statesman, the President, were 
melted, in the son: in the pressure of those loving 
hands ; and under the warmth of that fond kiss.* 

It was the 30th day of April, 1789. In all the 
churches in New York, there had been prayers, at nine 
o'clock. The blessing of God, on the new government, 
was solemnly invoked. It was, now, noon. The streets 
were all alive. The stream of life was rushing, towards 
the Federal Hall. All eyes are fixed, upon the balcony. 
At the moment, he appears. Tall, serene, majestic. 
His plain brown suit was of the manufacture of his 
country. The sword, of so much glory, was by his side : 
shall I not say, The sword of the Lord, and of Wash- 
ington 1 The welkin rings, with one wide shout. He 
lays his hand upon his heart ; bows to the people ; and, 
then, sinks, exhausted, into a chair. The fearless 

* Writing, to his sister, on the occasion of their mother's death, in 
August, of the same year, he said : "Awful and affecting as the death of 
a parent is, there is consolation, in knowing that Heaven has spared ours 
to an age, beyond which few attain ; and favoured her with the full enjoy- 
ment of her mental faculties, and as much bodily strength as usually falls 
to the lot of fourscore. Under these considerations, and a hope that she 
is translated to a happier place : it is the duty of her relatives to yield 
due submission, to the decrees of the Creator." 



20 ONE world: c^R; Washington. 



soldier of the Monongaliela,is a woman, in that^presence. 
Then, only, is our nature perfected, when the strong 
man is blended, in it, with the loving woman. He 
rises. He advances, to the front. He is surrounded, 
by the chief officers of State. The Chancellor ad- 
ministers the oath. The hand of Washington is on 
the Bible ; which the Secretary holds. He would 
have raised the sacred volume, to his lips. The 
President bows, lowly and reverently ; and kisses it. 
Then, for the avalanche of voices. Then, for the roar of 
cannon. Then, for the clanging of the bells. He bows, 
again. He retires to the Senate Chamber ; and delivers 
his inaugural address. And, then, he goes, on foot ; 
with the whole assembly, to St. Paul's Chapel : where, 
prayers are said, by the Bishop of New York. 'Ilie 
Virginia Colonel, who knelt, in that wild camp, at the 
Great Meadows, at twenty-two, among the soldiers and 
the Indians, kneels, now, at fifty-seven, the President of 
the United States. How sure, how beautiful, how 
blessed, are the returns of prayer ! Of the services, 
which he rendered, in his double administration — con- 
strained to the second, even^more ^reluctantly than to 
the first* — how his wisdom, justice,' patriotism, as 

* "The confidence of the whole Union," wrote Jefferson, then. Secretary 
of State, " is centered in you. Your being at the helm is more than an 
answer to every argument, which can be used, to alarm and lead the 
people, on any question, into violence or surprise. North and South 
will hang together, if they have you to hang on." " I am perfectly aware 
ot the iippressiuii. under which your present ollice lays yuur mind ; and of 



ONE world: one WASHINGTON. 21 

Governor, distilled, in blessings, on the land, which, as 
warrior, he had saved; I need not tell you now. Are they 
not legible, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, in the 
prosperity and progress of the country. Do they not 
smile, in fields 1 Are they not vocal, in shops ] Do they 
not tower, in spires 1 Do they not exult, in dancing 
ships ; wherever ocean sends its waves I Are they not 
felt, in the hearts ; shall they not be heard, from the 
tongues, of thirty millions of free menl Out of that 
chaos, " without form, and void," he was enabled, by 
God's grace, to bring this new and beautiful creation. 
For the logs of that old raft, the Confederation, scarcely 
kept together, by green withes, he launched, and set 

the ardor with which you pant for domestic life. But, there is some- 
times an eminence of character, on which society have such peculiar claims 
as to control the predilection of the individual for a peculiar walk of 
happiness ; and to restrain him to that alone, arising from the present 
and future benedictions of mankind. This seems to be your condition, 
and the law imposed on you by Providence, in forming your character, 
and fashioning the events in which it was to operate ; and it is to motives 
like these and not to personal anxieties of mine or others, who have no 
right to call on you for sacrifices, that I appeal from your former determi- 
nation, and urge a revisal of it, on the ground of changes in the aspect of 
things !" Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury, was equally decided. " It 
is clear, that if you continue in office, nothing materially mischievous is 
to be apprehended ; if you yield, much is to be dreaded : that the same 
motives which induced you to accept originally, ought to decide you to 
continue till matters have assumed a more determinate aspect." " T trust, 
and pray God, that you will determine to make a further sacrifice of your 
tranquility and happiness, to the public good." Randolph, the Attorney 
General, wrote, with the same urgency. "The Constitution would never 
have been adopted, but from a knowledge that you had once sanctioned 
it, and an expectation that you would execute it. It is in a state of pro- 
bation. The most unauspicious struggles are past. But the public de- 
libeiation.'; need stability. You alone can give them stability." 



22 ONE world: 4Ke Washington. 



before the wind, manned with brave men, the star-flag 
floating from the mast-head, that glorious ship of the 
line, the Constitutional Republic: in which, we and 
ours, to the remotest generation, are embarked — God 
help us! — for our weal, or for our wo. 

" Tliou, too, sail on, ship of state ! 
JSail ou, Union, strong and great I 
Humanity, with all its fears, 
With all the hopes of future years, 
Is hanging, breathless, on thy fate. 
We know what Master laid thy keel ; 
What workman wrought thy ribs of steel; 
Who made each mast and sail and rope ; 
What anvils rang, what hammers bent : 
In what a forge, and what a heat, 
Were shaped, the anchors of thy hope. 
Fear not each sudden sound and shock ; 
'Tis of the wave, and not the rock : 
'Tis but the flapping of the sail ; 
And not a rent made by the gale ! 
In spite of rock and tempest's roar. 
In spite of false lights, on the shore ; 
Sail on ; nor fear to breast the sea. 
Our hearts, our hopes, are all with thee. 
Our hearts, our hopes, our prayers, our tears, 
Our faith, triumphant o'er our fears, 
Are all with thee ; are all with thee." 

Washington was sixty-five years old, when he re- 
tiu-ned, from his eight years' administration, to the 
shades of Mount Vernon. Not without leaving, to 
the nation, the most precious legacy, short of inspired 



ONE world: one WASHINGTON. 23 



wisdom, in his inimitable " Farewell Address." And 
it is delightful to see, how he came back, with the 
keenest relish, to the tastes and occupations of his 
earlier manhood. To a friend, he writes, a few weeks 
after his arrival, that his daily course began with the 
rising of the sun ; when he, first, made preparations, 
for the business of the day. " By the time, I have 
accomplished these matters, breakfast is ready. This 
being over, I mount my horse, and ride round my 
farms : which employs me till it is time to dress, for 
dinner. At which, I rarely miss to see strange faces ; 
come, as they say, out of respect to me." " The usual 
time of sitting at table, a walk, and tea, bring me 
within the dawn of candle-light." " I, then, retire to 
my writing-table ; and acknowledge the letters, which 
I have received. Having given you this history of a 
day, it will do for a year." In this sweet, natural way, 
it was his happiness to live. He was the friend and 
adviser of the neighborhood. He was the Vestryman 
of two Churches. He was the zealous promoter of 
every form of internal improvement.* He was devoted, 
heart and hand, to education. f He was the most 

* In July, 1783, in head-quarters, at New York, while waiting for the 
definitive treaty, he beguiled the time, and gratified a long cherished de- 
sire, by making a tour into Northern and Western New York. In a 
letter to the Chevalier de Chastellux, written from Princeton, after his 
return, he clearly advocated that great plan of internal improvements, 
by canal navigation, which has immortalized the name of De Witt Clin- 
ton; and given such wealth and power to the State, which he adorned. 

t He had earnestly recommended plans for internal navigation, in 



24 ONE world: c^e Washington. 



intelligent and enterprising agriculturalist. But, his 
chief delight was in his orchards and his gardens; 
with his trees and shrubbery. Laying out the walks, 
on his lawn ; intermingling forest trees, evergreens 
and flowers ; stocking his conservatories and green- 
houses: with pruning hook, in hand, all day. Even, 
here, he was pursued, by greatness. A war with 
France was threatened. Ten thousand men were 
ordered, as a provisional army. He, alone, was thought 
of, as Commander-in-chief The fanguage of President 
Adams, to him, in a letter, is: "We must have your 
name, if you will permit us to use it. There will be 
more efficacy in it, than in many an army." And 
there was. The French government abated their 
insolence. Overtures of peace were made, by them. 
The army never took the field. But, there is a Con- 
queror of all Conquerors. On Thursday, I'ith Decem- 
ber, 1799, he was exposed, in a storm of rain and sLeet ; 
whilst returning, on horseback, from his farms. A sore 
throat and hoarseness ensued. He neglected it. The 
next night, he had an ague. The severest form of 



Yirginia; which had proved very successful. The Potomac Company, 
and the James River Company complimented him with a gift of fifty 
shares, by the former, and one hundred, by the latter. He positively 
refused to receive them. Afterwards, he consented to receive them, as a 
trust, for beneficial objects ; and gave them for the purposes of educa- 
tion : one hundred shares, to Washington College ; and one hundred 
shares, for an University in the District of Cohunbia. The plan of a 
National University was very near his heart. In short, he was a zealous 
advocate for schools, and literary undertaki^igs, of every kind. 



ONE world: one WASHINGTON. 25 



quinsy set in. On the night of Saturday, December 
14th, he breathed his last. Calm, composed, resigned. 
As beautiful, in the fortitude and resignation of his 
death ; as he had been, in the fortitude and resignation 
of his life. 

I need not specify the virtues of George Washing- 
ton. His life was radiant with them. As a lady said, 
to me, the other day, "his greatness was in his good- 
ness." Unselfishness, integrity, simplicity, sincerity, in- 
corruptible faith, indomitable courage, unbounded gene- 
rosity : these are a handful, only, of the full and golden 
sheaf. Hear, how he writes, from his head-quarters, at 
Cambridge, to his agent; managing his vast estates, 
throughout his absence of six years, by correspondence. 
" Let the hospitality of the house, with respect to the 
poor, be kept up. Let no one go hungry, away." Nor 
was he one of those, who think themselves quite good 
enough, without religion. A piece of verses, on Christ- 
mas Day, written at the age of thirteen, begins : 

" Assist me, muse divine, to sing- tlie morn. 
On which, the Saviour of mankind was born." 

In the absence of another, he was, from his first 

service, the Chaplain of his troops ; and gathered them, 

for daily prayers. Vicious habits and profane swearing 

among the troops, were strictly forbidden, and severely 

punished. When the House of Burgesses, of which he 

was a member, set apart the first day of June, 1774, 
4 



26 ONE WOR^: ONE WASHINGTON. 

as a day of fasting, humiliation and prayer, to implore 
the Divine interposition, against the calamities, threat- 
ened by the act of Parliament, in shutting up the port of 
Boston, the entry, in his Diary, is ; " Went to Church : 
and fasted all day." He was most liberal, in his main- 
tenance of tlie Church. Whether in private, or in 
public life, he was a constant worshipper. His Secre- 
tary, had seen lum, more than once, kneeling, in private 
devotions, at morning and evening, in his library, with 
his Bible open, before hira. He was a devout commu- 
nicant. But had he no faults^ Did he not die] 
Would he have died, if he had had no sin'? Let them, 
that have none, cast a stone, at him ! Was there no 
discord in these notes of universal praise'? Yes: even 
Washington had revilers.* Infidels, Pharisees, Jacobins, 
Misanthropes. Thomas Paine, Callender, Citizen Genet. 
The men, whose blame is praise: whose censure is 
applause ; whose condemnation is immortal glory. 
Mr. Jefferson, not partial, in his favor, wrote, of him, 
" His integrity was most pure ; his justice, the most 
inflexible, I have ever known: no motives of interest 
or consanguinity, of friendship or of hatred, being able 



* How little he regarded thein ! " I have long' since resolved," said 
he, writing to the Governor of Maryland, " for the present time, at least, 
to let my calumniators proceed, without any notice being taken of their 
invectives, by myself, or by any others, with my participation or know- 
ledge. Their views, I dare say, arc readily perceived, by the enlightened 
and well disposed part of the community ; and by the records of my ad- 
ministration, and not by the voice of faction, I expect to be acquitted or 
condemned, hereafter." 



ONE world: one WASHINGTON. 21 

to bias his decision."* He was, indeed, in every sense 
of the word, a wise,t a good, and a great man. Mr. 

* '• No part of the President's duties," says Sparks, in his admirable 
life, " gave him more anxiety than that of distributing the offices, in his 
gift." " He early prescribed to himself, however, a rule, from which he 
never swerved ; which was, to give no pledges or encouragement, to any 
applicant. He answered them all, civilly. But, avowed his determina- 
tion to suspend a decision, till the time of making the appointment 
should arrive ; and then, without favor, or bias, to select such individu- 
als, as, in his judgment, were best qualified to execute, with faithfulness 
and ability, the trust reposed, in them. 'From the moment,' he writes, 
to a friend, ' when the necessity had become apparent, and, as it were, 
inevitable, I anticipated, with a heart filled with distress, the ten thou- 
sand embarrassments, perplexities, troubles, to which I must again be 
exposed, in the evening of a life, already nearly consumed in public 
cares. Among all these anxieties, I will not conceal from you, I antici- 
pated none greater than those that were likely to be produced by appli- 
cations for appointments to the different offices, which would be created, 
under the new government. Nor will I conceal that my apprehensions 
have already been but too well justified. Should it be my lot, again, to 
go into office, I would go without being under any possible engagements, 
of any nature whatsoever.' ' So far as I know my own heart, I wou'd 
not be in the remotest degree, influenced in making nominations, by mo- 
tives arising from the ties of family or blood. And, on the other hand, 
three things, in my opinion, ought principally to be regarded : namely, 
the fitness of character to all offices ; the comparative claims, from the 
former merits and sufferings in service of the different candidates ; and 
the distribution of appointments, in as equal a proportion as might be, to 
persons belonging to the different States in the Union.' " 

t A single sample of his AeajV-wisdom must not be withheld. His 
kinsman and agent, Lund Washington, had intimated the probability, 
that Mrs. Custis was about to enter into a second marriage. She had 
given him no hint of her intention. '• For my own part," he writes, from 
Eocky Hill, near Princeton, 20th September, 1783. " I never did, nor do 
I believ'e I ever shall, give advice to a woman, who is setting out on a 
matrimonial voyage. First, because I never could advise one to marry, 
■without her own consent ; and, secondly, because I know it is to no pur- 
pose to advise her to refrain, when she has obtained it. A woman very 
rarely asks an opinion, or requires advi'*e, on such an occasion, till her 
resolution is formed. And, then, it is with the hope of obtaining a sanc- 
tion, not that she means to be governed by your disapprobation, that she 



28 ONE world: q0e. Washington. 

Fox said of liim, in the British Parliament, "Illiis- 
trioTis man, deriving honor less from the splendor of 
his situation, than the dignity of his mind. For him, 
it has been reserved, to run the race of glory, without 
experiencing the smallest interruption, to the brilliancy 
of his course." Lord Erskine wrote to him, in 1795, 
" Sir, I have taken the liberty to introduce your august 
and venerated name, in a short sentence ; which will be 
found in the book, I send you. I ha^e a large acquaint- 
ance, among the most valuable and exalted classes of 
men. But you are the only human being, for whom, I 
ever felt an awful reverence. I sincerely pray God, to 
grant a long and serene evening, to a life, so glorious- 
ly devoted, to the universal happiness of the world." 
Chief Justice Marshall, in announcing his death, in 
the House of Representatives, said, " Our Washington 
is no more. The hero, the patriot and the sage, of 
America; the man, on whom, in times of danger, every 
eye was turned, and all hopes were placed, lives, now, 
only in his great actions ; and in the hearts of an affec- 
tionate and an afflicted people." "More than any 
other individual, and as much as, to one individual, was 
possible, has he contributed to found this, our wide- 
spreading, empire ; and to give to the Western world 



upplies. In a word, the plain Kiinlisli of tliu iipplicatioii may bo sLiiiinied 
up, ill these words: ' I wish yon to tliiiik as I do ; ])ut if, unhappily, you 
(litrtT IVoiii 1110 in opinion, my mind, I must confess, is fixed, and I iiave 
<;(ine too far, now to lotroal.' '' 



ONE world: one WASHINGTON. 29 

independence and freedom." But, the noblest eulogy, 
that was ever uttered, and in the very fewest words, 
was the third of the resolutions, offered by Chief Justice 
Marshall, and drawn up by General Henry Lee: "Re- 
solved, that a Committee be appointed to consider, on 
the most suitable manner, of paying honor to the 
memory of the man ; first, in war, first, in peace, and 
first in the hearts of his countrymen." 

And, now, is not my case made ouf? Can any 
Plutarch find a parallel, for him I Will any bird, of 
any kind, take up the challenge of our eagle, " One 
World, one Washington V^ If it be so, and if nations 
be trustees for the names of their great men, what a 
trust my fellow-citizens, is ours ! How should his name 
be embalmed, in all our hearts ! How should his name 
be a household word, on the lips of all our children ! 
How should his name be inscribed on every poll ; to fix 
the eye, and fill the heart, of every voter ! How, should 
his name pervade our halls of Legislature ; pervade our 
public offices ; pervade the Presidential mansion ; per- 
vade the august and glorious Capitol! How it should 
rebuke selfishness ! How it should rebuke unfaith- 
fulness ! How it should rebuke corruption ! How it 
should vindicate the truth; and elevate the law; and 
justify the government; and glorify the nation! Beau- 
tiful it is, that the Metropolis of the great American 
confederacy, of which he was founder, bears his immor- 
tal name. Tender and touching, it is, that that serene, 



30 ONE wokld: q^ Washington. 

majestic, face, goes every where, from every hand, to 
every heart ; the passport of affection, in every house, 
through every land.* Let there be one more testimo- 
nial, the most affecting, the most impressive, of them 
all. When Nelson, on the eve of triumph, flung, from 
the mast-head, that immortal signal, " Westminster 
Abbey, or Victory !" he appealed to the deep sanctities 
of every heart. Let our Westminster be Mount Ver- 
non ! Let the home of Washington be their home- 
stead, who are his only children. Let the tomb of 
Washington be the shrine of patriotism, forever ; and, 
let his sacred ashes forever rest, by the sweet gliding 
of his own Potomac ; cherished by the hearts, and 
guarded by the hands, of increasing millions of free- 



men 



" Should llio tempest of Vv^ar overshadow our hind, 

Its bolts could ne'er rend Freedom's temple asunder: 
For, unmoved, at its portal, would Washington stand; 
And repulse with his breast, the assaults of the thunder. 
His sword, from the sleep 
Of its scabbard, would leap ; 
And conduct, with its point, every flash, to the deep. 
For, ne'er shall the sons of Columbia be slaves, 
While the earth bears a plant, or the sea rolls its waves." 



*How 1 felt this, with every letter, that came to me, abroad! 



ONE world: one WASHINGTON. • 31 



Mrs. Van Rensselaer ; 

Lady Managers of the Mount Vernon Associa- 
tion, IN Burlington; 
Mr. Mayor; 

My Fellow Citizens ; 

You have listened to me, patiently, too long. A few 
words, more. The ashes of Washington should not be- 
long to any individual. They are the jewelry of the 
Republic. En meet ornamental The tomb of Wash- 
ington should not be in possession of the government. 
He was not the father of the Senate, nor of the House 
of Representatives. He was Pater Patrloi. He is our 
father. The home of Washington should not be held 
by any special corporation. It is the homestead of the 
nation. It is the hearthstone of America. It should 
belong to us, and to our heirs, forever. But, how shall 
this be brought about ^ Who will redeem that sacred 
dusti Who will garnish that beloved sepulchre'? 
Who will keep up that hospitable home'? These 
women and their associates : the mothers of our chil- 
dren; the sisters of our love; the daughters of our 
hearts. Beautiful thought, that the sex, to which we 
owe our mothers, should be the guardians of the ashes 
of our father. That the women of America, should 
more than reproduce the Roman daughter, in her filial 
piety and love. And, they tolll do it. Nay, have done 
it ; by the very will, to do it. When did a woman ever 



32 ONE ^torld: (IIFe Washington. 



fail, in wliat her love resolved on 1 Who were behind 
her, at the Cross ] Who were before her, at the grave'? 
Noble and generous women ! Into your hands, we 
commit those venerable shades. Into your hands, we 
commit that honorable sepulchre. Into your hands, 
we commit that blessed dust. To you, and to your 
daughters, and to your daughters' daughters, in a line, 
forever. Thither, the mothers of America, in all the 
ages of the world, shall bring their infant sons. They 
shall tell them, " our mothers left us this dear home ; a 
heritage, for ever!" They sliall repeat his story. 
They shall relate his services. They shall recount his 
virtues. They shall syllable his glorious and immortal 
name. The eye shall kindle, at the sound. The lip 
shall quiver, at the thought. The heart shall leap, at 
the remembrance. And, from that sepulchre, there 
shall go out, a line of patriot-heroes; that shall perpe- 
tuate the virtues, while they immortalize the name, of 
Washington. Shades of our fathers, mothers of our 
children, shall it not be so] By those, at Trenton, 
Princeton, Monmouth, it shall be ! May He, who gave 
us W^ashington, make us all worthy of the gift ; pre- 
serve his sepulchre, a light-house, for the oppressed, in 
every land ; and make his name the lode-star of the 
patriot, till time shall cease to be ! 



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